Splash Pads and Interactive Fountains Make Summer Cool

With summer in full effect, kids everywhere are looking for something to do or somewhere to go. Fortunately for them, companies like OTL have been turning what might have been a boring place for kids a decade ago into a summer destination. Splash pads and interactive fountains are popping up everywhere, making summer cool again, and kids are better off for it.

In San Diego, the centerpiece of San Diego’s Waterfront Park, the 830-foot-long fountain and children’s splash area have helped turn a non-descript municipal building site into a vibrant gathering place, where splashes of laughter are as common as seemingly endless sprays of water.

OTL installed 31 water jets, spaced at about 24 feet on center, to create an urban avenue of water play. Individually, each jet shoots arcs of water some 14 feet in the air, providing hours of enjoyment to children of all ages. Collectively, the symmetrical arches of water provide a perfect complement to dramatic waterfront views, helping bring the city’s bond with the waterfront inland.

A couple of hours up the coast in downtown Los Angeles, Outside the Lines restored and re-energized the 1960s-era fountain at Grand Park with joint venture partner Raymond Group. The reconstructed Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain has two separate closed-loop water systems. The upper system features a 50-foot spray of water that shoots upward in the original fountain bowl. During the day, visitors enjoy splashing in its lower membrane pool, where water flows across 6,200 square feet of dark granite. When the sun goes down, the lights go up on the entire fountain, displaying a captivating rainbow of colors.

In the Midwest, OTL recently finished the Alaskan Adventure, a children’s splash deck and water feature at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Neb. The new exhibit teaches kids how the Alaskan animals live and move, showcasing the habitats of Orca and killer whales in an environment modeled after real photos of the animals in the wild.

This interactive water feature lets kids play among 75 bronze sculptures of puffins, salmon, brown bears and an 18-foot humpback whale, as water sprays and spouts from blowholes and the ocean surface.

OTL’s vast knowledge of hydraulic recirculation systems, temperature regulation and biological, mechanical and chemical filtration has made them experts in creating interactive fountains that are clean and free of contaminants. They also consult with maintenance teams to ensure the fountain remains a safe and inviting asset to the community for years to come.

OTL’s creative construction on interactive water features can also be seen at both Universal Studios, Hollywood and Universal City Walk, Los Angeles.

If you would like to learn more about OTL’s expertise on building and designing interactive fountains, contact OTL by email info@otl-inc.com or by telephone at 714.637.4747

Image of Grand Park courtesy of https://lausd.tumblr.com/
Image of Alaskan Adventure courtesy of https://www.omahazoo.com/